Big companies should open their books

Rather than leaving these corporations to their own devices, the public would have know whether our resources were being used in the best public interest, while ensuring taxes were being paid and adjusted upwardly to cap profits.

This could apply to other industries. Making large corporations open their accounts to public inspection would not just limit tax fraud. It would strengthen the hand of government regulation bodies that seek to stop price fixing and other practices that gouge consumers.

Any corporation that refused to comply with such regulations, or was found to be guilty of serious crimes, could be brought under state control.

In the case of the mining industry, increased state intervention could help ensure public resources were being managed in the public interest.

We could expect such measures to be resisted by the corporations. The well-funded campaign we’ve seen against a small tax increase indicates we could expect strong resistance to deeper encroachment on corporate interests.

To implement such a policy, a government would need the necessary courage to take powerful interests on. A government willing to take on such a fight would need to be willing to educate the public on the issues and mobilise working people to defend them.

We must have the courage and faith in the ability of ordinary people, if the case is put to them and they can see it is in their interests, to support such a campaign.

Our only other choice is to remain at the mercy of those who “will do whatever it takes” to find “a way of adding a bit more profit” to their bottom line.